TRIP SUMMARY (for this near-shore NECWA/HAS pelagic trip):
We missed a skua and two Sabine's Gulls "by inches" on 9/13/2015 (scroll down this post to see those details), but saw the spectacle of thousands of shearwaters (4 species, 95% Greater) and many jaegers (3 species) buzzing around near our ship, about one mile EAST of Race Point Lighthouse.
HAS pelagic trip 2015 << Patrick Comins photo summary of our 9/13/2015 trip
Marine forecast for Sept 12 (night) and all day the 13th (Sunday)... who could ask for more....
TRIP DETAILS:
Here is an overview list, not in any particular order....
- Sabine's Gull, zero on this 9/13 trip (although 2 were in Stellwagen that day, and one seen from Race Point Beach on the same day).
- Albatrosses, zero.
- Gadfly petrels, zero.
- Shearwaters, four species. 4500 Greater Shearwaters. 600 Cory's. 70 Sooty. 110 Manx.
- Fulmar, zero, but one reported that day nearby.
- Wilson's Storm-petrel, 15. Leach's, zero.
- Jaegers, three species....
- 31 jaeger sp. (includes the 9 Peter wrote down and did not photograph)
- 29 Pomarine Jaegers
- 1 Pomarine/Parasitic Jaeger
- 4 Parasitic Jaegers
- 1 Parasitic/Long-tailed Jaeger
- 3 Long-tailed Jaegers
- Here are Peter Flood's excellent jaeger photos... NECWA - Jaegers September 13, 2015 | Flickr - Photo Sharing!
- Skua's, zero, but one South Polar reported in Stellwagen Bank that day.
- Black-legged Kittiwake, 2.
- Bonaparte's Gull, 2.
- Laughing Gull, 150.
- Herring Gull, 20
- Gr. Black-backed Gull, 15.
- Gannets, 25.
- Common Tern, 600.
- Roseate Tern, 50.
- Alcids, 1
- D-c Cormorants, quite a few (hundreds?).
- Semipalmated Sandpiper, 20.
- Red-necked Phalarope, 7.
- did i forget any species?
Peter Flood published his excellent overall trip summary on eBird....
eBird Checklist – off Provincetown, Massachusetts – Sun Sep 13, 2015
NON-AVIAN:
Humpbacks - 17 - 18
Finbacks - 26
Minkes - 1
Harbor seal - 1
Ocean Sunfish - 1
Basking shark - 1
FROM PLANKTON TOW:
....Salp or ctenophore - 1 (collected by towing plankton net)
....Zooplankton - (collected by towing plankton net)
....14mm post larval hake - 1
MARINE MAMMAL DETAILS:
- our first Mn was Binary's 2012 calf (PCCS confirmed that ID)
- our second Mn is still a mystery. Sent to PCCS but no word back. This is the Mn with the abrasions next to blowholes.
- our group of 4 that split into a group of 3 and then returned to a group of 4 included: A-plus, Azrael, Belly, Crisscross.
- our 2 loggers were Mayo and Eraser. Later, we picked them up again as Mayo was very active (lob tailing, tail breaching, inverted lob tailing and flippering) I think Eraser moved off while we were fixated on Mayo.
- Another pair in this area turned out to be Rune and calf. These calves are getting so big now that you don't even realize you have a mother and calf pair.
- Picked up A-plus and Azrael again before running into Colt, the whale that surfaced right next to the boat.
- The kick feeder off Race Point was Medal.
It is pretty clear from the data (not just an unsubstantiated "theory") that the waters around and off Race Point, Cape Cod MA (from mid-August to mid-September) are probably the best place (and best time) to find a Sabine's Gull anywhere on the US
East Coast (of course they are much easier to find about 20 miles off the US
West Coast). There are numerous annual trips to these waters around Cape Cod, and this one emphasizes this "theory", and this beautiful gull! (-:
This weekend again provided evidence that this theory is correct!
Unfortunately we missed the two Sabine's Gulls seen on 9/13 by a very short distance and short time. We also, of course, missed a few in the days right before 9/13.
The following map shows all Sabine's Gull reports in eBird, with those in the last 30 days (2015 aug14-sept13) in red. Note the concentration in the waters just east and north of Cape Cod (click on map to expand)...
Wow!
Very large numbers of shearwaters on this trip, which got better and better as the day went on, culminating around 4pm when we returned to the Race Point area (actually the waters one mile east, northeast, of Race Point Lighthouse) and explored the waters off the Life Saving Station and north of the airport (an area which we had
not checked during our earlier pass along the western corner of Race Point). Here we found several thousand shearwaters buzzing actively around inshore waters just north of the Provincetown Municipal Airport, as shown in this photo...
to see LOTS of shearwaters,
CLICK on this image, and later press the ESC key to return...
This photo was taken in the area of this red oval...
This map shows our route on 9/13. Thousands of shearwaters were concentrated in the red oval, around 4pm...
You can click on images to enlarge them, and then press ESC key to return...
This map shows our overall 9-hour trip, except for the last half hour as we returned to Plymouth...
We estimated our numbers from the ship, mostly around 4pm off the airport, while others watched this spectacle from the shore (although earlier in the day). J.Trimble, for example, estimated more than 25,000 shearwaters off Race Point!
eBird Checklist – Race Point, Massachusetts – Sun Sep 13, 2015 – 67 species (+3 other taxa)
Note that Jeremiah also had one Sabine's Gull from his seawatch at Race Point on Sept 13th. Another SAGU which we "missed by a hair" on Sunday. So we WERE in the RIGHT place, but Lady Luck was against us on 9/13 regarding Sabine's Gulls.
S.Williams was also sea watching from Race Point that same day, and estimated at least 15,000 Great Shearwaters...
eBird Checklist – Race Point Beach, Provincetown, MA – Sun Sep 13, 2015 – 39 species
The 9/13 land-based report from L.Waters and S.Arena for these same waters is equally impressive...
Birding News | #birdingnews via @aba
===================
Subject: Provincetown seabirds 9/13
Date: Mon Sep 14 2015 22:09 pm
From: youngeaglewaters AT gmail.com
Some highlights from a day of sea watching in Provincetown on Sunday 9/13 are below.
Hatches Harbor: (http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S25035539)
170 Cory's Shearwaters
8550 Great Shearwaters
75 Sooty Shearwaters
174 Manx Shearwaters
600 Roseate Terns
1 Black Tern
2 Forster's Terns
High Head Beach: (http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S25035764)
1 Green-winged Teal
All 3 scorer species
800 Cory's Shearwaters
1000 Great Shearwaters
4 Parasitic Jaegers - Chasing a Tree swallow for ~2min. The tree Swallow finally escaped after (seemingly) being bit, drowned, pecked at, and chased mercilessly!
2 possible Long-tailed Jaegers
1 Least Tern - carrying a fish, still feeding young??
3 Black Terns
Race Point: (http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S25035823)
150 Cory's Shearwaters
8600 Great Shearwaters - a truly breathtaking experience. All feeding within .25mi of shore and most much closer - one flew over the beach, and another one got caught by a fisherman from shore. (The bird was fine, the hook went through the webbing of the foot, and came out without doing more damage. A crazy sight to see!)
75 Sooty Shearwaters
45 Manx Shearwaters
1 American Golden-Plover - calling adult that flew in and briefly landed on beach before flying off to the south.
1 Pomerine Jaeger
5 Jaeger sp. one single that seems to be a Long-tailed, and a flock of 4 that came in from the clouds and was not seen well.
1 Peregrine Falcon - perched on the shorebird receiving radio tower
If you haven't had a chance to make it out there to experience this yet, find some time. It is amazing.
Happy sea watching,
Liam Waters
Sharon
===================
Just think, we almost did not go there, to the waters a mile east of Race Point light!
What a lucky consensus, to cruise over to that area, north of the airport, as we were returning at the end of the day!
THANKS TO EVERYBODY WHO MADE THIS TRIP SUCCESSFUL: especially K.Carson & her Interns, the Captain, the MA team (W.Petersen, D.Blatt, B.Nikula, P.Flood, J.Sweeney, and ichthyologist K.Hartel, et al) and the CT Team (T.Appel, P.Comins, K.Conte, T.Green, T.Robben, M.Sadlon, J.Teltser, K.VanDerAue, M.Wolter, P.Wolter, S.Zagorski). Who did I forget? Krill and the Captain deserve special thanks for getting us such good close looks at the waters just off the beach one mile NE of Race Point lighthouse!
J.Sweeney, W.Petersen and P.Flood...
B.Nikula covering the stern...
Peter's son lifting up the plankton net (150microns mesh) which had been towed for 5 minutes...
K.Carson clearing out the plankton filter...
We caught a small 1/2 inch salp
(or perhaps it is just a Sea Gooseberry, a type of ctenophore or comb jelly) ....
Our plankton tow also collected one 14mm post-larval fish as part of the plankton, which Karsten Hartel identified in his Harvard lab the next day as a cod-like relative and most likely a Urophycis ….that is one of the three hake species in the area...
Urophycis - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Red hake - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
White hake - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
MISSING TWO SABINE'S GULLS "BY INCHES" ON 9/13:
Note that our trip was in-the-right-place, at-the-right-time,
almost!
Our trip is based upon getting us to the best place at the best time -- to see a Sabine's Gull on the East Coast. That theory is correct, and was verified by the following report, from almost exactly where we were, when we were there .... unfortunately we just barely missed the following South Polar Skua and two Sabine's Gulls on this day (by just a few miles, by an hour or two)! They were reported by Evan Dalton on the OTHER ship which came out of Plymouth that day (with a similar ship name).
"Subject: Stellwagen Bank - South Polar Skua, Sabine's Gull (2)!
Date: Sun Sep 13 2015 20:55 pm
From: evanndalton AT gmail.com
Massbirders,
Southwestern corner of Stellwagen (Captain John whale watch out of
Plymouth). Haven't ebirded the full list yet, but subject bird was seen
well chasing a juv. Sabine's Gull. Later, an adult Sabine's (with full
hood) was seen flying by the bow of the boat. Quite a show out there!
Best,
Evan Dalton
North Easton, MA
evanndaltonATgmail.com"
Birding News | #birdingnews via @aba
Evan later got back to me with the following details:
September 13th 2015
-Immature SAGU (being pursued by SPSK) between 1415-1520
-Adult (alternate/breeding plumage) at about 1540.
All "within a couple miles of land and we never got past the extreme SE corner of Stellwagen Bank."
PLUS there was one Sabine's Gull seen at Race Point Beach from land on 9/13. We scanned that area around 4pm but could not find a SAGU there...
eBird Checklist – Race Point, Massachusetts – Sun Sep 13, 2015 – 67 species (+3 other taxa)
OTHER INTERESTING SEABIRDS & TRIPS:
Race Point, Stellwagen Bank Sept 23 ...
"I went on a whale watch out of Provincetown this morning. I saw more
shearwaters and jaegers than on any previous trip:
At least 20,000 shearwaters, probably many more, mostly within about a
mile or so north and northeast of Race Point. I identified about
one-third of them and estimate totals as follows:
18,000 Great Shearwaters
2,000 Cory's Shearwaters
400 Manx Shearwaters, including 45 in one raft on the water
8 Sooty Shearwaters
3 Fulmars
0 storm-petrels
When we returned at slack tide (dead low), most of the shearwaters were
on the water.
There were so many jaegers around the southwest corner of Stellwagen
Bank that I could not keep track of how many different birds there might
have been. My estimates were as follows:
8 Parasitic Jaegers
6 Pomarine Jaegers
15 jaeger sp. (no Long-taileds)
Further inshore (off Race Point and south to Long Point) I estimated as
follows:
6 Parasitic Jaegers
2 Pomarine Jaegers
1 Long-tailed Jaeger
5 jaeger sp.
Also seen:
2 N. Gannets
5 Red-necked Phalaropes
2 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
700 Common Terns, mostly west and south of Race Point
40 Roseate Terns, mostly in one feeding flock near Wood End
2 Black Terns
not to mention whales....
Ian Nisbet
North Falmouth"
9/25 Seawatch - Race Point and High Head Truro by Steve Arena
eBird Checklist – Race Point Beach, Provincetown, Massachusetts – Tue Sep 22, 2015
Race Point 9/18 with pictures by Steve Arena
Provincetown Pelagic - 9/16 with Blair Nikula
Provincetown seabirds 9/13 by Liam Waters
GREAT SKUA (9!!!) - Maine Audubon Pelagic, 9/12
Brooklyn Pelagic Recap from August 30-31 << including some warm water pelagic species
Birding Aboard “SeaBC” Has Sailors Reporting Unusual Birds | eBird
Birding News | #birdingnews via @aba ... detailed below...
==================
Subject: Provincetown Pelagics - Brown Booby, Long-tailed Jaeger, Skua!
Date: Sat Oct 3 2015 20:47 pm
From: pokedaddy151 AT gmail.com
Massbirders.
As a comparison between Race Point Beach and Race Point Light.
Spent another 10 hours at Race Point light today. The seabird numbers were
staggering including at least as many Fulmar as yesterday due to visibility
being better. (900+). The morning flight was amazing as was the steady
stream, all day, of seabirds passing west to east (into the wind). The
numbers are being compiled.
The 1.5 or so mile difference between RP Beach and RP Light seemingly make
a huge difference given the wind and point contour.
Steve
On Saturday, October 3, 2015, Steve Mirick wrote:
> The Provincetown magic continues!!! Get out there if you haven't yet. If
> the drizzle holds off, tomorrow should be another fantastic day! Go to
> Race Point Beach at first light and hunker down behind the dunes where
> there is protection from the wind in the 2nd access way to beach. Herring
> Cove Beach is another great spot and is well protected from the direct
> winds.
>
> Today was dominated by jaegers. All day, everywhere! You could not pick
> up your binoculars and not see a jaeger!!! Seriously!!
>
> Highlights:
>
> Red-throated Loon - 4 adults in breeding plumage at Race Point Beach.
> First of fall.
> Northern Fulmar - Perhaps 50 or so. Far less than Steve Arena reported
> yesterday, but perhaps 30% to 40% dark morph birds. Only 1 off Herring
> Cove Beach.
> Cory's Shearwater - Perhaps thousands.
> Great Shearwater - Perhaps hundreds or more. Only 1 off Herring Cove
> Beach.
> Sooty Shearwater - 1 (only)
> Manx Shearwater - 4 (only)
> Leach's Storm-Petrel - 2+ off Race Point Beach.
> Storm-petrel sp. - 1 possible Wilson's off Herring Cove Beach.
> Northern Gannet - Hundreds or more.
> BROWN BOOBY - 1 distant bird, that only I saw off Herring Cove Beach.
> Some room for error on ID, but I feel reasonably confident in ID.
> SKUA SP. - Spotted by Jane. Far out, but seen very well for nearly a
> minute. Clearly a Skua. Seemed uniformly steely-gray. Seemed best for
> South Polar, but ???
> Pomarine Jaeger - Perhaps 6 or so birds for the day identified. Most with
> spoons of some sort.
> LONG-TAILED JAEGER - 1 subadult with long tail streamers. Watched for
> long time in direct comparison to Parasitic Jaegers in flight and on
> water. Able to get some photos.
> https://www.flickr.com/photos/...
> Parasitic Jaeger - 40 or so identified. Lots of adult birds.
> Jaeger sp. - Hundreds. Many or most consistent with Parasitic. Flying by
> consistently at over 1 per minute for most of day. Many inside of the
> breaking waves. There were more jaegers than gulls flying by! Again,
> every time you scanned the horizon there was a jaeger in view. Often 6 or
> more.
> Black-legged Kittiwake - Dozens. Adults and juveniles.
> Sabine's Gull - 0. This gull has eluded us in 4 trips this summer/fall.
> Black Tern - 2 off Herring Cove Beach and 1 off Race Point Beach.
> Forster's Tern - 2 off Race Point Beach.
> Peregrine Falcon - 1 off Herring Cove Beach with tern in its talons.
> Being harassed briefly by a jaeger!
>
> Steve & Jane Mirick
> Bradford, MA
>
--
Steve Arena
Westboro, MA
=============================================
Subject: 10/2: Race Point Seawatch
Date: Fri Oct 2 2015 18:57 pm
From: pokedaddy151 AT gmail.com
Hi Massbirders
I sea watched from Race Point Light (in a vehicle) from 0645 until 1700.
Winds were NNE 25-35 with rain most of the time. The most activity was the
morning exodus from the Bay (0645-0830), a feeding frenzy midday, and
another flight out of the Bay in the late afternoon. I used a clicker for
Fulmar and Jaegers.
Northern Fulmar - 958 (508 in the am leaving the bay and 450 at the midday
feeding frenzy.) 95% were light individuals the remaining 5% were darker
birds with some completely steel grey. Many photos and videos.
Great Shearwater - 350 mostly morning
Cory's Shearwater - 250 - same
Manx Shearwater - 15 - only morning
Sooty Shearwater - 2 only morning
Wilson's Storm-Petrel - 8 ; 6 morning and 2 at the feeding frenzy
Leach's SP = 0
Jaegers -318 (260 morning flight leaving the bay and 58 the rest of the
day). Many photos.
Of those, 14 Pom, ~50 Parasitic. The rest were LT/Parasitic types. I may
have had one identifiable Long-tailed but need to review photos.
Northern Gannet - 350 (50 in the morn and 300 in the afternoon.). (Under
counted)
There were many many gulls and terns. Including
Lesser Black-backed - 3 (only)
Little Gull - 3. 2 ad. Winter; 1 2w
Black-headed Gull - 1 adult winter
Sabine's Gull - 1 juv at the feeding frenzy but just briefly :-(
Kittiwake - 75 max
Forster's Tern - 4
American Golden-Plover - 1 juv
Black-bellied Plover - 15
Semipalmated Plover - 3
Sanderling - ~75
Dunlin - 8
White-rumped Sandpiper - 68 - came in off the water in one flock. They
landed in the wrack 25' from me
Pectoral Sandpiper - 2 with the rumps. Calling, many photos
Semipalmated Sandpiper - 2
Ruddy Turnstone - 4
Horned Lark - 20
American Pipit - 6
Thanks for reading,
Steve
--
Steve Arena
Westboro, MA
==================
